Review: Florence by Ciye Cho

Florence

Author: Ciye Cho
Pages:336
Publisher: Studio Amazepop
Release Date: July  1st 2012
Author Website 
Available for Order: Amazon

Source: ARR

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

My Take:

Ever feel like an outsider looking in, and everyone looked right past you. For Florence living behind the scenes was her scene and even she was included she really didn't feel included in anything. Not since her dad past away and she was sent to live with her mom who really could care less about Florence, life was just a way to get by, until of course a trip to the ocean with her school that life turns for Florence. For someone used to just looking in was now the focal point in a world no human knew existed. Who knew that this world had so much more you just had to look through the surface to see it. Taken from the world of the outside and being thrown on the inside, mermaids was the one thing farthest from Florence mind, but the world works in mysterious ways,  Florence is the first human to know of their existence and they want nothing to do with her.

Prince Kiren is curious about her, Florence of course is also intrigued about him as well, its not everyday a girl gets to meet a prince or a mermaid. Of course being an outsider stinks, because everyone seems to want her out except Kiren's sister Yolee who seems to see beyond her human self and for the person she really is. But when Kiren start to act differently and of course dreams that paint the prince differently Florence has to set aside her feelings and help those she cares about like Prince Rolan, who always seems to be their for Florence when she least expects it. Florence might be the only hope to save the world of Niemela. Is ready to step out of the shadows and embrace the light or hide away in the dark.

While reading Florence, I couldn't help but see that a world like Niemela could exist. Of course every mermaid story is different, Ciye Cho of course delivers in an extraordinary way, grabbing your attention in so many points of views. It felt right getting all the points across and i loved that even though Rolan seemed the type to not care came through. Florence had the strength no one thought she has and even though she never felt involved above the surface, she was able to find herself below the surface and was able to change all those who sought out to send her away.

5/5  Stars

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Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1)

Author: Anne Greenwood Brown 
Pages:303
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers 
Release Date: June  12th 2012
Author Website 
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Source: Arc from egalley

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistible good looks and charm on unsuspecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

My Take:

What happens when you must put an end to a life that means so much more to others, even when that life is a debt that should have been paid all those years before. Calder White knows that for a wrong to be right he must do what his sisters say, the one thing he isn't supposed to do is fall in love. Seducing Lily Hancock was just by chance but him falling for her was just another thing his sisters hold over him because love is a very strong weakness. The target they have searched for is Lily's father and his sisters want his life. Getting close to Lily was just to be temporary and just to be a means to and end. What he never realized was that his sisters were wrong in taking a life and because he is different he has to choose between  the love of his family or the love from a girl who likes him for him.

Being made into what he is has never been a problem and even though he stays away from his sisters as much as he can, he really does love them. He knows that they have love for him and even though his mother changed him, he will always love his sisters. Because of what he feels though, that compassion towards humans is what makes sure he doesn't take lives as often as his sisters do. Who said being a mermaid was any easier than being human, to survive you have to steal the person's energy. But when you can stray yourself like Calder can, you must distance yourself from any and all human contact.

Yup love can complicate things and even though Calder cares he knows he really isn't right for Lily. What he never expected was how much she cared about him and how far she is willing to keep him safe. Something no one saw coming was that love is as powerful as it is strong. The thing is when his sisters find out Lily and her family needs protection and what it comes down to is, distancing himself is never going to good enough for his sisters. He has to stand his ground for what he believes in even when secrets of the past come to the surface Calder still feels he has love and that is all that matters. I fell for Calder as he came to grips with what was right and wrong and even though he was put to seduce Lily, his change is perspective for me changed as he was able to get to know her. With his sisters ready to basically start war Calder is ready and he really does care. Sometimes he seemed to full of himself, but with each page he made me swoon and instantly I was intent on reading the last page even though I wished there was more after that last page. Anne's Calder will have everyone chanting his name by the end and wanting to be his. Mermaids have been this sexy and enchanting, please I need more.

5/5 stars